The East-West Center is a leader in educating people of the Asia Pacific region, including the United States, to meet the evolving demands and interdependency of global change. The Center offers a range of educational opportunities, bringing together more than 300 students each year from across the region.

East-West Seminars offers short-term dialogue, field study, travel and exchange opportunities for working professionals in politics, government, civil society, business and the media who are in positions to affect policy, shape public opinion and influence change in their countries and communities. Programs provide opportunities for leading professionals from the United States and Asia Pacific to exchange views, build networks, develop leadership skills, and deepen knowledge of regional issues.

Journalism fellowships and exchanges for working American and Asia Pacific journalists promote understanding of the complexities of the Asia Pacific region through study tours. Intensive dialogue with colleagues, government officials, business executives and community leaders provides participants with a means to broaden their network of contacts.

Since 2008, the East-West Center has held a biennial conference for journalists to have an opportunity to gather, build professional networks and discuss current news and media issues with newsmakers, experts and one another.

The Asia Pacific Center for Journalists at the East-West Center in Honolulu leads the region in the vast array of programs and resources it offers journalists on Asia Pacific issues, including 10 fellowship travel programs for American, Asian and Pacific island journalists; a news service providing diverse commentary and analysis on breaking and ongoing Asia Pacific stories; comprehensive, updated online news coverage of the Pacific islands; and quick access to the East-West Center's specialists and 50,000 alumni throughout the region.

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The Jefferson Fellowships offer print and broadcast journalists from the United States, Asia and the Pacific Islands the unique opportunity to gain on-the-ground perspectives and build international networks to enhance their reporting through an intensive one-week education and dialogue seminar at the East-West Center in Honolulu followed by two weeks of study tour travel in the Asia Pacific-U.S. region.

Program Background

Jefferson Fellows interview U Win Tin, a founding member of the National League for Democracy, who spent 19 years in prison.The Jefferson Fellowships is the East-West Center’s most widely-recognized and established seminar program, with an illustrious alumni network of more than 600 Jefferson Fellows across the Asia Pacific region and the United States. The broad goal of the program is to to enhance public understanding through the news media of cultures, issues and trends in the Asia Pacific region. Participation in the Jefferson Fellowships provides journalists not only with rich knowledge of the most important regional issues, valuable professional contacts, and life-long friendships with their colleagues in the program, but also access to the EWC’s international network of more than 1,000 media professionals and 50,000 alumni. The Freeman Foundation of Stowe Vermont provides some scholarship funding for the Jefferson Fellowships in partnership with journalists' news organizations, foundations and the East-West Center.

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Who Can Apply: Working print, broadcast, and on-line journalists in the United States, Asia* and the Pacific Islands. Five years of experience preferred. English fluency required. *Please note that scholarship funding applies only to Asian countries in this list.

Deadline: January 27, 2015

The seas are vitally important to the Asia Pacific region. Countries in the region are heavily dependent on international trade and imported energy, the bulk of which travel by sea. They are the source of much of the protein in the diets of many countries in the region, a demand that is increasing as middle classes grow. They have potentially valuable energy and mineral resources. The South China Sea is one of the world’s most heavily used transit corridors and is the key route for trade as well as the imported energy fueling regional economies. It is estimated that roughly half a billion people live within 100 miles of the coasts of the South China Sea and the seas are rich in fishing and hydrocarbon resources. There have long been disputes over sovereignty, overlapping exclusive economic zones and competing claims, but increased demand for resources and shifting geopolitics have heightened these tensions, creating conflict and an urgent need for regional coordination in the seas. These tensions can hinder needed cooperation on other critical challenges of sustainable management of sea-based resources, protecting the environment, combating criminal activities such as poaching and piracy, and ensuring the stable and efficient freedom of navigation that plays a key role in Asia’s growth and prosperity.

The 2015 Jefferson Fellowships will provide journalists with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of these complex issues including the role that oceans play in the prosperity and security of Asia Pacific countries, the legal frameworks that govern the use of the seas, the roles of various countries and organizations in enforcing these rules, the disputes over ownership of maritime territory in the South China Sea and the prospects for the way forward. In Honolulu journalists will learn about these issues and the role of the United States from regional experts, US military officials, and presentations by one another. Travel to China and the Philippines will provide first hand perspectives from two of the key claimants in South China Sea disputes who are at the center of the first case brought for international arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. Visits to the capital cities as well as local communities bordering the South China Sea will explore the importance of the seas to both countries—one a continental rising global power and the other a developing island nation. In Singapore, participants will explore the business of trade by sea in a city-state highly dependent on maritime transshipment for its prosperity and one of the gateways to the Malacca Strait, through which almost 50,000 ships carrying half the world's trade and one-third of global oil pass each year. Singapore also offers an opportunity to explore strategies and scenarios for regional cooperation in managing territorial disputes as well as efforts to mitigate piracy and manage congestion in these vital shipping lanes.

Funding:

The Jefferson Fellowships are supported by a grant from The Freeman Foundation and by the East-West Center.

These funds provide for 10-13 full or partial scholarships, including approximately 4-5 for qualified American journalists and 7-8 for Asia Pacific journalists.

All participants, regardless of amount of scholarship, must pay an $800 programming fee to cover costs not provided by the scholarship funds. Participants are also responsible for all applicable visa fees, any additional visa-related expenses, health insurance and baggage fees.

The direct costs for participation in this intensive educational, dialogue, and reporting program are valued at approximately* $9000 and include:

Roundtrip airfare to and from your home country and throughout the study tour

Lodging in each of the fellowship cities

Provided program meals and a modest per diem to cover meals not provided

Ground transportation and airport transfers

Cultural activities and networking opportunities

Interpretation in China and the Philippines

Pro-rated program costs such as speaker honorariums, cooperating organization costs and meeting rooms

Experienced escorts with knowledge of regional issues and the 2015 theme

We encourage media organizations to cost share programs costs and/or airfare. Cost sharing is seen as an indication of the commitment of media organizations to the value of the program and their willingness to invest in the participating journalist. It is an important consideration of the Selection Committee. The "Employer’s Statement of Support" indicating cost sharing is required for all applicants.

Journalists also are welcome to offer cost sharing on their own or identify other sponsors to cost share participation, such as local foundations. Please complete a second copy of the Employer Statement of Support form and indicate who is providing the cost sharing.

In addition to the application form, applicants must also provide all of the following:

• A letter outlining the following (maximum three pages, double-spaced, please):

--what you expect to accomplish if an award is granted and what issues you want to explore/write about during the program. Please share specific story ideas or details of how this will enhance your work as reporter/editor/producer, etc.;

--a brief description of your news organization and your role;

--topics you propose to address in your paper and presentation at the East-West Center (please see the full program announcement for more information about this requirement of the program). This should be a perspective from your own country on an issue or issues related to the theme of the program.

The strongest applicants will make a case for why this theme is relevant to their beat and/or their country, how their reporting will stand to benefit from this opportunity, and will offer specific, relevant story ideas (in their role as an editor, producer, reporter, columnist, etc).

• A letter of recommendation on official letterhead from your supervisor describing your suitability for the Fellowship and the benefit the organization hopes to derive from your participation in the program. Freelance journalists are welcome to apply; please send a letter on official letterhead from a media organization that regularly accepts and publishes or airs your work. If your media organization is not paying your program fee or providing financial support, supervisors should indicate why not.

• The “Employer’s Statement of Support” form completed by your employer (third page of application form). Freelancers must also submit the Employer Statement of Support form. Please write “Freelancer” for employer name.

• Names, addresses, phone/fax numbers and e-mail of three people who may be contacted by the Center as references. Two of these references should be people outside your news organization.

For a printed copy of these instructions, please download the 2015 Jefferson Fellowships Announcement (instructions on page 4)

NOTE: Please indicate “Jefferson Fellowships Application” in the subject heading of your e-mail or fax. We will confirm receipt of the application within 5 working days. If you do not hear back from us, please follow up.

The Arab Spring marked a wave of political transition and increased hope of a burgeoning new world order based on liberal democratic principles. However, roughly two-and-a-half years after the revolutions in the Arab world, not a single country is clearly on course to become a peaceful, stable and inclusive democracy: While elections are an essential component in democratic transitions, many other elements are also key: a system of checks and balances; rule of law and access to justice; a pluralistic party system; and a robust civil society that includes traditionally marginalized groups.

The 2014 Jefferson Fellowships program took place February 22 – March 16, 2014 with travel to Honolulu, Hawaii; Jakarta and Banda Aceh, Indonesia; and Yangon, Myanmar and included 15 journalists from ten countries. The 2014 Jefferson Fellowships program entitled, “Challenges of Democratic Transition,” explored the requisites of democratization and nation building by examining two Asian countries in the midst of democratic transition - Indonesia and Myanmar. The 2014 Jefferson Fellowship looked specifically at efforts intended to improve transparency; decentralize power; ensure greater civilian rule over the military; foster a pluralistic party system; reduce economic inequality; strengthen the judiciary; redress past injustices; and advance democratic values of press freedom and citizen engagement. The Fellowship also explored the historical struggles of ethnic and religious minorities through visits to Banda Aceh in Indonesia and dialogues with Burmese ethnic communities. In addition, the Fellowship considered how each country has engaged the U.S. and its Asia Pacific neighbors via political and economic ties and how this engagement has impacted democratic transition. In each city, participants met with a diverse mix of government officials, academics, business executives, fellow journalists and civil society leaders. Fellows also participated in the East-West Center’s 2014 International Media Conference in Yangon, which focused on “Challenges of a Free Press.”

2014 Jefferson Fellows and former Jakarta Governor, Jokowi.

Highlights of the Jakarta study tour included an on-the-record meeting with Vice-President of the Republic of Indonesia, Boediono, who offered an overview of efforts to address specific challenges such as corruption and the lack of bureaucratic capacity. The challenges of combatting corruption in Indonesia were further examined in a panel discussion with civil and political society representatives, including: the Vice Chairman of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Secretary General of Transparency International in Indonesia, and the Coordinator of Indonesia Corruption Watch. Finally in Jakarta, an on-the-record meeting with then-Governor of Jakarta and now President, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, regarding his administration’s efforts to “build trust” between a responsive and inclusive government and the Jakarta electorate through civil society engagement and direct outreach was beneficial both thematically and as a means of expanding the Jefferson Fellowships’ network and deepening their future coverage of Indonesia. As stated by an American journalist, “[The Fellowship offered] several chances to meet upcoming power players who could develop into highly-placed contacts. The forward looking nature of the Fellowship really impressed me.”

Tsunami tour of Banda Aceh, Indonesia led by Mr. Muslahuddin Daud of the World Bank.The 2014 Jefferson Fellowships program took the journalists to Banda Aceh to compare the Helsinki MoU with other efforts in the Asia Pacific region and assess its success, or lack thereof, to integrate minorities and former combatants into a democratically governed state. The journalists met with former GAM negotiator and Chairman of the Aceh Rehabilitation Agency, M. Nur Djuli, to discuss the history of the separatist movement in Aceh, how the Helsinki MoU differed from previous accords and its implementation thus far. A meeting with Muzakkir Manaf, Vice-Governor of Aceh and Chairperson of the Aceh Transitional Committee, explored the socialization, demilitarization and reintegration of former GAM combatants as well as issues of conflicting loyalty and identity. The journalists also met with the Governor of Aceh, Zaini Abdullah, who offered his analysis on the new political relationship between Aceh and the Indonesian state. As Aceh is the only province in Indonesia explicitly authorized by national law to adopt laws derived from Islam, the journalists appreciated a panel discussion on the implementation of Sharia; to whom it applies; the enforcement mechanisms; and how those laws may or may not impinge on individual rights, to be useful as an example of Aceh’s “self-governance” and as a means of better understanding sharia law itself.

Meet and greet with USDP Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Parliamentarians in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. The Yangon study tour began with the opportunity to attend the East-West Center’s 4th International Media Conference (IMC), where distinguished keynote speakers and panels of working journalists discussed challenges facing press freedom in their countries and shared strategies they use for news gathering. The conference also included on-the-ground updates on news and media issues in the region, a wide range of practical skill-building workshops, and unique opportunities to network with more than 300 media and regional professionals from all over the world. Following the IMC, the Fellows returned to exploring the 2014 Jefferson Fellowship theme. A panel discussion with the Myanmar Peace Center in Yangon provided the journalists with an overview of the ethnic conflicts in Myanmar, including the: Kachin, Wa, Shan, Karen, and others. Another highlight of the Yangon study tour was a panel discussion with students and young activists who frankly shared their perspectives on Myanmar’s democratic transition as well as their hopes for the 2015 election and beyond. The journalists also had a chance to fly to Naypyidaw, the previously-closed capital city of Myanmar, where they were met by two lower house Parliamentarians from the ruling Union Socialist Democratic Party (USDP), including U Hla Myint Oo, Chairman of the International Relations Committee. A final highlight was a panel discussion on inclusive governance and Parliament’s role in policymaking with lower and upper house Parliamentarians representing ethnic minority areas.

Examining the experiences of Indonesia and Myanmar, what reforms have been taken, and what challenges remain enabled participating journalists in the 2014 Jefferson Fellowships to better understand democratic transition and nation building generally and apply that knowledge in their analysis of other countries struggling to move toward a more democratic future. An American journalist captured this point, writing:

We focused heavily on issues of democratic transition and nation-building. Everyone knows and agrees these issues are deeply important (for Indonesia/Myanmar, for the Asia-Pacific, and globally), but most journalists are not trained as political scientists and so are not likely to include them in their coverage, or even to fully understand them when they cover the many, many news topics that are related to democratic transition and nation-building. The fellowship was not just a study of Indonesia and Myanmar, then, but a crash course in principles and processes of democratic transition and nation-building that will enhance my coverage of these phenomena across all countries.

Another American journalist similarly wrote:

The ongoing transitions in Indonesia and Myanmar are often under-reported in the international media. Now I understand the unique cultural, ethnic and historical challenges that each country faces with democracy and their future elections. This will also be extremely helpful in providing proper context in future stories – whether it’s breaking news, such as violence in hotbeds of ethnic strife, or more elaborate, planned stories, such as the 2015 Myanmar elections. Moreover, the lessons learned here can helpful with coverage of democratic transitions in countries around the world.

Overall, the journalists felt that the fellowship achieved its stated goal of bringing together journalists from Asia Pacific and the United States to deepen their knowledge of regional issues and establish international networks. They found the 2014 Jefferson Fellowships program a tremendously rewarding and enriching experience personally and professionally. A Pakistani journalist captured the sentiments of many of the participants:

The Fellowship didn’t just build understanding and an information base regarding [the] U.S. and [the] Asia Pacific on the fellowship theme, but also groomed my ability to perform as a journalist. It was a transformational experience for me as it exposed me to such a comprehensive approach towards an issue before reporting or commenting on it. The IMC and my fellow Jeffs were also a huge resource.

EWC 55 Fact of the Week

“Facing Justice,” the Asian International Justice Initiative’s weekly prime-time TV news show on Khmer Rouge Tribunal proceedings, has been viewed by millions of Cambodians and is credited with being one of the main ways people in the country get information about the court’s trials.